Category: Uncategorized

Good Reputation – easily lost

The recent Secret Service scandal highlights the far-reaching and lasting negative impact of bad behavior by a few individuals on the reputation of an entire organization.   
All Sailors are stewards of the Navy’s reputation.  We need to guard it closely by behaving in a manner which upholds the reputation of a great service. 
Every officer, Chief or Sailor who fails to guard that reputation impugns us all as well as bringing discredit upon himself.  We don’t need a new rule, a new program or chaperones to get us to behave.  We know what must be done and we must do it for the good of our service, for the good of our Shipmates and for our own good.
When the man that you are entrusted to give your life to save his makes fun of you, you know you are done.  Honorable men of the Secret Service have lost their lives for the President.  The recent Secret Service behavior stains that memory.  We must be mindful of that. 

A Commander’s Responsibility

A commander’s responsibility remains absolute, and that commander must, and will, be held accountable for the safety, well-being, and efficiency of his command. This accountability may be exacted in various ways. In some cases, commanders may be called to account in a court of law . . . in all cases, they will be judged by their professional peers – those who have been subjected to, and exalted by, the same stringent requirements of command. Our country, and every Navy man and woman serving at sea or ashore, has the absolute right to expect that our commanding officers will be the finest, and the most responsible, we can provide. I intend to make it so. 

Admiral James D. Watkins, U.S. Navy

Junior Information Warfare Officer Detailer

Lieutenant Commander Mark Ratkus and Lieutenant Commander Brian Harding completed their turnover as the Junior Information Warfare Officer Detailer effective yesterday, 24 April 2012. For Junior Officer IW Detailing issues or concerns please contact LCDR Brian Harding at his Navy e-mail address.  The phone number remains the same.

Please check out the IW Detailers’ page at NPC HERE.

You Must Stand Alone

“At every university and company in America, there is a focus on teamwork, consensus building, and collaboration. Yet, make no mistake, the time will come when you must stand alone in making a difficult, unpopular decision. Or when you must challenge the opinion of superiors or tell them you can’t get the job done with the time and resources available – a difficult charge in an organization built upon a “can do” ethos. Or a time when you know what superiors are telling the press, or the Congress, or the American people is inaccurate. There will be moments when your entire career is at risk. What will you do? What will you do?”


Secretary of Defense Robert Gates

Center for Information Dominance (CID)

CID is the Navy’s Learning Center that leads, manages and delivers Navy and joint force training in information operations, information technology, cryptology and intelligence. With a staff of nearly 1,300 military, civilian and contracted staff members.

CID oversees the development and administration of more than 168 courses at four commands, two detachments and 14 learning sites throughout the United States and in Japan. CID provides training for approximately 24,000 members of the U.S. Armed Services and allied forces each year.

Captain Susan K. Cerovsky is the CID Commanding Officer.

Captain John Post speaks to the Aiken Georgia Military Officers Association of America (MOAA)

The monthly meeting of the Aiken (Georgia) Military Officers Association of America featured a special local guest Thursday night – Captain John C. Post, USN, Commanding Officer, Navy Information Operations Command – Georgia.
Post most recently served as the director of cyber warfare under the deputy chief of naval operations for information dominance. But, in speaking to the retired officers, Post talked about what his sailors at Fort Gordon, who are in the intelligence/information field and assist with planning and defense support, do in this new age.
“Sometimes when you think warfare, you think kinetic, but with the information age, you have to think non-kinetic,” Post said. “I think the Navy has placed an emphasis on understanding the information age and pooling all of the sources together so that the commander can make faster decisions.”
Along with speaking about the Navy’s approach to new-age technology, Post also displayed a new Information Dominance Warfare pin. Similar to aviation and sea warfare pins, the new insignia as described by the Navy’s website, “is a 2-inch by 1-inch, gold matte metal pin showing a background of ocean waves, a crossed naval officer’s sword and lightning bolt with a fouled anchor and globe.”
Post also told the room of roughly 40 about the other duties his sailors perform, such as funeral duty covering 30 counties in Georgia and South Carolina, which they volunteer to do on their off-time.
“It just amazes me that they can work a full day and still have the capacity to serve outside (of their normal duties),” Post said.

Read more: Navy captain talks intelligence, defense | Aiken Standard
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

Writing to Your New Commanding Officer

“You never get a second chance to make a first impression” may be a cliché, but you should keep this in mind when you sit down to write a letter of introduction to your new commanding officer. It’s not rocket science, but it does require some thought and attention to detail. 
Your goal is to briefly introduce yourself, provide relevant contact information, fill the command in on any special personal issues that impact your immediate future, and give a sense of cheerful eagerness to get on with your new job. The letter will be read by your commanding officer (CO), executive officer (XO), and department head. Very likely, it will also make its way to your sponsor and the officer you will be relieving. Keep this in mind as you draft your letter; there are some rather infamous examples of poorly written letters of introduction floating around the fleet.
Below are a few tips on drafting your letter:
  • Be brief and to the point without being cold. It is okay to let some of your personality to shine through, but don’t bother with a lot of frivolous personal details.
  • Formal modes of address are appropriate. Find out the name of your new CO and begin with “Dear Captain XXX.”
  • Don’t try to be funny–humor rarely translates well on paper, particularly in your first communication with your new commanding officer.
  • Include a full list of contact methods (including addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail) and your travel plans between now and when you report aboard.
  • Give some brief personal details such as where you grew up, your commissioning source, and the name of your wife and kids (if applicable).
The above list is not intended to intimidate; it is presented merely so you can avoid some of the pitfalls that previous junior officers have occasionally fallen into. If you keep it positive, to the point, and use the judgment that helped you earn your commission, your letter will serve you well.
From the United States Naval Institute’s Naval Wiki HERE.

VADM Ann Rondeau – President National Defense University retires

“We need more trailblazers, like Ann (Rondeau), in our Navy today,” said Admiral Greenert. “We need Sailors who want to be a professional and a leader. Who seize opportunities, take action and produce results. Ann was one of those Sailors, who saw what change was needed and made change possible. She made our Navy and our nation proud throughout her service.”